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Profile Of Dr. Abimbola Oyetunde, A Deputy Presidential Candidate NUJ Election (Owerri 2024)
Published
8 months agoon
By
Editor
Dr. Abimbola Oyetunde embodies the essence of existentialism, where purpose is forged through passion and dedication. Her journey is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for growth, resilience, and transformation. She is a towering figure in Nigerian journalism, whose career is a masterclass in excellence, dedication, and transformative leadership.
With an impressive journey that began over 28 years ago, she has not only witnessed the evolution of journalism in Nigeria but has also been a powerful force shaping its course. Like the ancient Greek concept of ‘eudaimonia,’ Dr. Oyetunde’s life work exemplifies a state of being that flourishes through living a life of virtue, excellence, and service to others.
In the spirit of Nietzsche’s ‘will to power,’ Dr. Oyetunde’s career is a masterclass in self-overcoming, where challenges are embraced as opportunities for growth and self-actualization. Her story is one of passion and purpose. Starting out as a news reporter and marketing executive at DAAR Communications (Raypower) from 1994 to 1997, Mrs. Oyetunde’s brilliance was immediately evident. She broke new ground by establishing the Lagos Island and Apapa offices, a move that showcased her knack for strategy and her bold approach to media management. This early success was just a prelude to what would become a remarkable career.
Her commitment to journalistic integrity and truth-seeking reflects the philosophical ideals of ‘aletheia’ (unveiling) and ‘parrhesia’ (fearless speech), where the pursuit of truth is a fundamental aspect of human existence. In 1998, she joined the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), where she would carve out a legacy of excellence. As a News Commentary Writer, Business Reporter/Editor, and later as Controller/Head of the Business Desk, Mrs. Oyetunde demonstrated her unmatched versatility and deep understanding of the media landscape.
READ ALSO: NUJ Demands Abducted Journalist, Olatunji’s Release
Through her mentorship and leadership, Dr. Oyetunde has become a ‘Socratic midwife,’ helping to birth new ideas and inspire the next generation of media practitioners to strive for excellence. Her commitment to journalistic integrity and her keen editorial sense led to her appointment as the General Manager of Radio Nigeria Bronze FM in Benin City, Edo State, in 2016. In this role, she has transformed the station into a beacon of quality broadcasting, overseeing a talented team of 135 staff members and driving content that resonates with audiences across the region.
Dr Oyetunde’s academic and professional credentials are as formidable as her career. She holds a Master’s degree in Communications Studies from Lagos State University and a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic. A lifelong learner, she has honed her skills through rigorous training at esteemed institutions such as the FRCN Training School, Lagos Business School, Tunia, and the City University of New York, where she specialized in Digital Journalism. Her international exposure is equally extensive, with her presence felt at major global events like the World Bank/IMF meetings, the sidelines of president Buhari’s visit in Washington D.C.,also China,where she covered the sidelines of President Jonathan’s visit,Tokyo, Canada, London,Liberia,Ghana and key seminars and workshops worldwide.
A revered leader and advocate, Dr. Oyetunde has been a strong voice within the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). From her impactful tenure as Chairman of the NUJ FRCN Chapel and Secretary of the Lagos State Council to her current role as a National Trustee, she has championed the rights, safety, and welfare of journalists, tirelessly working to uplift the profession.
She was also Secretary, credentials committee for 2018 Delegates Conference.
READ ALSO: NUJ OSBC Lauds Governor Adeleke Over Transmitters, Studio Equipment
Her role as Vice President (West Africa) for the Journalists International for Migration (JIFORM) further solidifies her as a leader of thought and action on the global stage.
In her quest for journalism welfarism, Dr Oyetunde fought for the weigh-in allowance that Federal and State Government media workers are enjoying now.In the process of pursuing this,she had an accident in 2013. This did not deter her as a committed Comrade.
She was a former National vice Chairman of Finance correspondent association of Nigeria, FICAN. A member of many other business associations.
She is currently the Director, (coordinator),Nigeria association of Women entrepreneurs,Lagos state.
In every role she has taken on, Dr Oyetunde has exemplified what it means to be a true professional—resilient, innovative, and committed to the pursuit of truth. Her dedication to press freedom, her advocacy for journalist safety, and her unrelenting drive to mentor the next generation of media practitioners are all reflections of her deep love for the profession.
Her contributions have not gone unnoticed. In 2023, the Institute of Public Sector Management in the United Kingdom conferred upon her a Doctoral Award, a fitting tribute to a woman who has spent her life elevating the standards of journalism. Dr Abimbola Oyetunde is more than a journalist; she is an institution, a visionary, and an enduring symbol of what is possible when passion meets purpose in the pursuit of truth.
Oyetunde’s remarkable journey as a multi-award winning journalist is indeed a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for growth, resilience, and transformation. Enter our incoming Deputy National President of NUJ… This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes!
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By Israel Adebiyi
Once upon a time in many Nigerian homes, there was a rhythm to childhood. It echoed in the laughter of children gathered under the moonlight, listening to folktales from wise grandmothers—stories of Tortoise and the hare, morality and mischief, hard work and honesty. It echoed in warm evenings of family dinners, morning treks to school in uniforms neatly ironed, and the comfort of knowing that adults were in charge—parents, teachers, and a government that at least pretended to care. That rhythm has long faded.
Today, the Nigerian child is born into chaos, grows up amid contradictions, and learns too early that promises mean nothing. Each May 27, we gather to recite that children are “the leaders of tomorrow,” but what we fail to admit is that this tomorrow is deliberately being sabotaged. It is not just lost; it is being stolen in broad daylight.
Let’s Begin with Education. Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world—an estimated 18.5 million. That number alone should spark a national emergency, yet it is spoken of with such casualness you’d think it were a weather forecast. Millions of children roam the streets hawking sachet water, fruits, or plastic wares when they should be in classrooms. In the North, Almajiri children continue to be abandoned in large numbers under a system that provides neither education nor security. In many Southern states, children are seen as economic props, pushed into trade or house help servitude.
Those who make it to school are not necessarily lucky. Public schools across the country are crumbling. From leaking roofs and broken chairs to the absence of toilets, blackboards, and learning aids, many Nigerian classrooms are not places of learning but sites of struggle. The curriculum remains outdated, irrelevant to modern realities, and poorly delivered. While the world is building coding academies for toddlers, we are still teaching children to cram colonial poetry and 1980s textbook diagrams.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR:[Opinion] From Classroom to Crisis: The Slow Death of Nigeria’s Education System
Teachers, the supposed nation-builders, are grossly underpaid and in many cases, underqualified. In some schools, a single teacher manages four to six classes. Training and capacity development are either nonexistent or political rituals. How does a child receive quality education when their teacher is themselves a victim of a broken system?
Worse still, our schools are no longer safe. With rising cases of abductions—from Chibok to Kagara to Dapchi—parents are forced to weigh the risk of education against the price of safety. This is a dilemma that should never exist in a sane society. A government that cannot secure its schools has no business sermonizing about the importance of education.
In the health sector, Nigeria’s infant and child mortality rates remain among the highest globally. According to UNICEF, one in ten Nigerian children dies before their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes. Many Nigerian children still die from diarrhoea, malaria, pneumonia, and malnutrition—ailments the world conquered decades ago. Our immunization coverage is poor, especially in rural areas where vaccine hesitancy and infrastructural gaps persist.
Traditional birth attendants continue to thrive in areas where government clinics are either too far, too expensive, or simply unavailable. Expectant mothers still deliver on floors or with torchlight. Where children are born into such conditions, the cycle of vulnerability begins at birth.
Here are the unspoken scars of the Nigerian Child – Abuse and Rights Violations. The Nigerian Child Rights Act (2003) is a comprehensive legal document that affirms the rights of every Nigerian child to survival, development, protection, and participation. Yet, over 20 years later, some states have still not domesticated this law. And in states where it exists, enforcement is patchy at best.
MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Trodding On The Winepress: All Hail The Nigerian Workers
Children suffer physical abuse, sexual exploitation, forced labour, trafficking, and emotional neglect daily. From baby factories to underage marriages to child soldiers in conflict zones, Nigeria has become a theatre of child rights violations. It is one thing to be poor. It is another to be unprotected.
When we say children are “the leaders of tomorrow,” what exactly do we mean? A child growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse, and hunger will not suddenly blossom into a competent leader because we proclaimed it. Leadership is cultivated. And cultivation requires care, systems, and consistent investment. We are not preparing children for tomorrow; we are abandoning them to survive today.
In many homes, the idea of parenting has become largely transactional. Economic hardship has eroded family bonding. Tales by moonlight have been replaced by cartoons on phones. Parents, stressed and underpaid, often have nothing left to give emotionally. We are raising children in isolation—physically present but emotionally disconnected. The result is a generation growing up without empathy, values, or vision.
Parents and communities must take back the moral responsibility of shaping children. Government cannot parent our children for us. But government must provide the basic scaffolding—schools, clinics, protection, and justice.
In the final analysis, May 27 must stop being a day of sugar-coated statements. It must become a mirror—a day of national reflection, policy accountability, and renewed investment in our children’s future.
The Nigerian child is not asking for luxuries. They are asking for classrooms with roofs, teachers who show up, clinics that work, and laws that protect. They are asking for the basic dignity of being raised in a country that sees them not as statistics, but as citizens. Until then, the phrase “leaders of tomorrow” remains a grand deception—a scam coated in celebration.
It is time to give children more than cake and fanfare. It is time to give them a future.
News
CBN Donates Motorized Fire Caddy To Federal Fire Service In Bauchi
Published
3 days agoon
May 28, 2025By
Editor
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bauchi State Branch has donated a Motorised Fire Caddy to the Federal Fire Service (FFS) Headquarters, Bauchi State Command.
Speaking during the handing over of the mobile fire suppression system on Tuesday, Mr James Laburta, the CBN Bauchi Branch Controller, said the gesture was part of its corporate social responsibility.
He commended the Federal Fire Service for its dedication toward fighting fire outbreaks in the state and reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to community safety.
According to him, the gesture underscored the importance of partnerships between government agencies and corporate institutions in safeguarding lives and property.
READ ALSO: Flood: NEMA Launches National Preparedness, Response Campaign In Bauchi
Responding, DCF Babangida Abba, the Acting State Controller of the Federal Fire Service in the state, expressed profound gratitude toward the gesture.
He emphasised the critical role of such support in enhancing the command’s capacity to respond swiftly to fire emergencies, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
Abba noted that the donation came at a crucial time, given the recent surge in fire incidents across the state.
While encouraging the general public to remain vigilant and proactive about fire safety, he assured that the equipment would be effectively deployed for emergency response and training.
READ ALSO: FG Renews Exploration License Of Oil In Bauchi – Minister
Also, speaking at the sideline of the event, ASF Umar Lawal, the Public Relations Officer of the Fire Service, said the equipment is used in areas where traditional fire hydrants or fixed systems are not readily available.
“This unit is typically portable and easy to maneuver, making it suitable for various locations.
“The motorised fire caddy is designed for skilled and unskilled Firefighters to use as a quick-response method for Firefighting in their early stages.
“As it beats response time to emergencies, it’s also used for institutional training reaching out to incident ground scene especially in hard-to-reach areas where our Fire truck can’t have access to the fire ground,” he said.
News
75-year-old Edo Pilgrim Dies During Hajj In S’Arabia
Published
3 days agoon
May 27, 2025By
Editor
A 75-year-old woman from Edo State, Adizatu Dazumi, died during the 2025 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Dazumi was from Jattu Uzairue in Etsako West Local Government Area.
According to The PUNCH, pilgrim died on Monday at King Fahad General Hospital in Makkah after a short illness.
The Chairman of the Edo State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Musah Uduimoh, confirmed her death on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Hajj 2024: Nigerian Pilgrim Allegedly Commits Suicide In Saudi Arabia, Another Dies From Illness
Uduimoh said Dazumi became ill shortly after performing Tawaaf (walking around the Kaaba) and was taken to the hospital on Sunday. She passed away the next day.
“She was buried in Makkah on the same day, according to Islamic tradition, and her family in Jattu Uzairue has been informed,” Uduimoh said.
He sent his condolences to her family and assured other pilgrims that the board is committed to their health and safety.
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